1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for aerating liquids and more particularly to waste water treatment systems where large volumes of liquid must be aerated efficiently and with low energy consumption as a part of the waste water treatment process.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
There are many types of devices for aerating liquids which are utilized in the waste water treatment industry. The main goal of such devices is to dissolve oxygen into the waste water to promote the biological activity necessary to decompose organic matter mixed in the waste water. To operate efficiently, such devices must be capable of aerating large volumes of waste water efficiently and with low energy consumption. The process of dissolving a gas in a liquid is basically a surface interaction phenomenon, and it has been found that more rapid dissolution of the gas is achieved by: utilizing smaller gas bubbles within the liquid to increase available surface area for dissolution; agitating the gas bubble-liquid mixture; and prolonging the length of time that the gas bubbles remain in contact with the liquid.
The prior art such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,452,966, issued to Smolski, 3,628,775, issued to McConnell, 721,036, issued to Gwynne and Sargeant, and 3,415,378, issued to Fukuda, all attempt to achieve some or all of these goals. The present invention is more effective than these prior devices in that it is easy to manufacture and maintain in operation as it has no moving parts, it provides the tiny gas bubbles necessary for maximum surface area for gas dissolution, it achieves rapid gas bubble-liquid mixture agitation, and it provides a prolonged gas bubble and liquid contact to increase the length of time of the gas bubble-liquid mixture interaction.